Coyote Valley wildlife in the spotlight

The Committee for Green Foothills co-sponsored a highly valuable environmental forum over the weekend, Wildlife of Coyote Valley. I would roughly estimate 100 people attended and listened to three highly knowledgeable experts, Dr. Grey Hayes, from the Elkhorn Slough Foundation; Tanya Diamond, a wildlife biologist at San Jose State University; and Stuart Weiss, Conservation Biologist focusing on endangered butterflies and plants. They clearly indicated the environmental value of the area, and the threat Coyote Valley development poses to wildlife corridors.

I also talked to two residents I hadn't known who had great personal knowledge of the wildlife - one of them a birder, the other a man who had tracked deer migration in the area for years. I encouraged both of them to review the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Coyote Valley and to submit their own comments, pointing out any oversights in the document.

It was a great opportunity both to share information and to make connections that could protect Coyote Valley. Our position hasn't changed - Coyote Valley shouldn't be developed at all, but if it does go forward, its impact should be minimized.

-Brian